Father Saturnino Urios University

Arts and Sciences Program

VOTING
GE 104: Mathematics in the Modern World

ROSARIO CHERRY CONDE-LADAGA

Faculty, Natural Science & Math Division
[email protected]
DEFINITION.
Voting is a process of choosing someone or
something in an election. It is a sacred right and
power that citizens in a democratic country exercise
to select their leaders. When we vote, the result
depends on the number of voters received by the
candidates or when we vote to pass laws, the
number of support to the proposal determine its
outcome.
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PLURALITY METHOD OF
VOTING
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•Each voter votes for one candidate and the candidate with the most votes wins.

•The winning candidate does not need to have a majority of the votes. Majority
vote means over 50% of the people voting must vote for the candidate.

•In case of a tie, a special runoff election may be held. If votes are ranked, the
candidate with the greatest number of first-place votes is declared the winner.

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 Example: Fifty people were ask to rank their preferences of five varieties of
chocolate candy, using 1 for their favorite and 5 for their least favorite. This
type of ranking is called a preference schedule. The results are shown in the
table below
Name of
Rankings
Centers
Caramel
5 4 4 4 2 4
Center
Vanilla
1 5 5 5 5 5
Center
Almond
2 3 2 1 3 3
Center
Toffee
4 1 1 3 4 2
Center
Solid
Chocolate 3 2 3 2 1 1

Number 17 11 9 8 3 2
of Voters
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 Name of Rankings
Centers
Caramel
Center 5 4 4 4 2 4

Vanilla
Center 1 5 5 5 5 5

Almond
Center 2 3 2 1 3 3

Toffee
Center 4 1 1 3 4 2

Solid
Chocolat 3 2 3 2 1 1
e

Number
of Voters 17 11 9 8 3 2
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Name of Centers First-place votes

Caramel Center 0

Vanilla Center 17

Almond Center 8

Toffee Center 11 + 9 = 20

Solid Chocolate 3+2=5

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 PLURALITY WITH ELIMINATION

▰ The first to be eliminated is the alternative with the least number of first-
place votes.
▰ If there are two or more of the alternatives with the least number of first-
place votes, all are eliminated unless that would eliminate all
alternatives.
▰ The process is repeated until a candidate obtains a majority of the
votes.
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 Example: A local TV network sponsors a film festival in which all
entries are produced by local universities in Mindanao. Four entries tie
for the Popular Choice Award, which shall be chosen based on votes
by the moviegoers. The preference table is shown below, using
plurality with elimination, what film shall be declared the winner?
FILM TITLE RANKING
Mindanao
3 1 2 3 1 4
Chronicle
Ang
Pagbabalik
2 3 1 1 4 3
sa
Nakaraan
Marawi:
Ang 1 2 4 2 2 1
Pagbangon
Ang
4 4 3 4 3 2
probinsya
Number of
25 43 38 35 36 23 9
Voters
 FILM TITLE RANKING

Mindanao
3 1 2 3 1 4 (3)
Chronicle
Ang Pagbabalik
2 3 1 1 4(3) 3
sa Nakaraan
Marawi: Ang
1 2 4 (3) 2 2 1
Pagbangon
Number of
25 43 38 35 36 23
Voters

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 FILM TITLE RANKING
Mindanao
3 1 2 3 1 4 (3)
Chronicle
Ang
Pagbabalik 2 3 1 1 4(3) 3
sa Nakaraan
Marawi: Ang
1 2 4 (3) 2 2 1
Pagbangon
Number of
25 43 38 35 36 23
Voters

FILM TITLE FIRST-PLACE VOTES

Mindanao Chronicles 43 + 36 = 79
Ang Pagbabalik sa 38 + 35 = 73
Nakaraan
Marawi: Ang Pagbangon 25 + 23 = 48 11
 FILM TITLE RANKING
Mindanao
2 1 2 2 1 2
Chronicle
Ang
Pagbabalik 1 2 1 1 2 1
sa Nakaraan
Number of
25 43 38 35 36 23
Voters

Counting the number of first-place votes

Mindanao Chronicles
FILM TITLE FIRST-PLACE VOTES receives 79 while ang
Pagbabalik sa Nakaraan get
Mindanao Chronicles 43 + 36 = 79 121 votes from moviegoers,
therefore, Ang Pagbabalik sa
Ang Pagbabalik sa Nakaraan 25 + 38 + 35 + 23 = 121 Nakaraan is the winner.
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 BORDA COUNT METHOD

▰ Named after Jean-Charles de Borda (1733-1799) who was a member

of the French Academy of Sciences.
▰ If there are n candidates or issues in an election, each voter ranks the
candidates or issues by giving n points to the voter’s first choice, n – 1
point to the voter’s second choice, and so on, with the voter’s least
favorite choice receiving 1 point. The candidate or issue that receives
the most total points is the winner

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Example: Sixty teachers from School Y would like to hold their recollection outside the city
of Davao. They were asked to rank the three locations where they could possibly go. Use
the Borda Count Method to determine the destination of their trip. The preference table is
shown below

DESTINATION RANKING

Malogos Garden Resort 3 1 2 3 1 1

BlueJaz Water Park 2 3 1 1 2 3

Tamayong Prayer Mountain 1 2 3 2 3 2

Number of Voters 9 14 15 4 2 16

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 Using the Borda Count method, each 1st place vote receives 3 points,
each 2nd place receives 2 points, and each 3rd place vote receives 1
point

Malagos Garden Resort BlueJaz Water Park Tamayong Prayer Mountain

1st –place 32 x 3 = 96 1st –place 19 x 3 = 57 1st –place 9 x 3 = 27
votes votes votes

2nd –place 15 x 2 = 30 2nd –place 11 x 2 = 22 2nd –place 34 x 2 = 68

votes votes votes

3rd –place 13 x 1 = 13 3rd –place 30 x 1 = 30 3rd –place 17 x 1 = 17

votes votes votes

Total 139 109 112

*Malagos Garden Resort 15

 PAIRWISE COMPARISON VOTING METHOD

CONDORCET CRITERION

▰ A candidate who wins all possible head-to-head matchups should win an election when all
candidates appear on the ballot
▰ In this method, each candidate is compared one-on-one with each of the other candidates. A
candidate receives 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a tie, and 0 point for a loss. The candidate
with the greatest number of points wins the election

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 Example: The committee on scholarship ranked four students vying for
scholarship sponsored by a certain organization. Use the pairwise
comparison voting method to determine the winner of the grant. The result
are shown in the preference schedule below
STUDENT RANKING
Juan del
3 4 2 1 2
Cruz
Jose
1 2 3 4 3
Alonzo
Bert San
2 3 1 2 4
Pedro
Maria
4 1 4 3 1
Cortes
Number of
10 15 8 9 8
voters
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 Start the matches between each pair of students
Juan vs Jose Total Number of Votes Points received
Juan 8 + 9 + 8 = 25
Tie (each will received 0.5 point)
Jose 10 + 15 = 25
Juan vs Bert
Juan 9 + 8 = 17
Bert 10 + 15 + 8 = 33 Winner - 1 point
Juan vs Maria
Juan 10 + 8 + 9 = 27 Winner - 1 point
Maria 15 + 8 = 23
Jose vs Bert
Jose 10 + 15 + 8 = 33 Winner - 1 point
Bert 8+9=7
Jose vs Maria
Jose 10 + 8 = 18
Maria 15 + 9 + 8 = 32 Winner - 1 point

Bert vs Maria
Bert 10 + 8 + 9 = 27 Winner - 1 point
Maria 15 + 8 = 23 18
 To summarize the result, the table below indicating the winner
of each match

vs Juan Jose Bert Maria

Juan Juan/Jose Bert Juan
Jose Jose Maria
Bert Bert
Maria

By pairwise comparison, Bert San Pedro will get the

scholarship
STUDENTS TOTAL POINTS RECEIVED
Juan 1.5
Jose 1.5
Bert 2
Maria 1
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References

• Aufmann, R.N., Lockwood, J. S., Nation, R.D., Clegg, D.K. “Mathematical

Excursions” (3rd edition), Brooks Cole CENGAGE Learning
• Brown, R. L. & Kopp, S. (2016). Mathematics of finance (8th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
• Bluman, A. G. (2013). Elementary statistics: A brief version (6th ed.). NY
McGraw-Hill.
• Calingasan, R.M., Marting, M.C., Yambao, E.M. (2018) Mathematics in the
Modern World. C&E Publishing, Inc.

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